Well, the Tigers wasted another leadoff single. But at least Jhonny Peralta wasn’t wiped out on a double play after leading off the third with a liner to center field, like Austin Jackson was in the first and Prince Fielder was in the second. The Tigers had the makings of a scoring inning. Following Peralta, … Continue Reading →
I suspected we’d see a Justin Verlander groove today. He might just be in it now. The Tigers ace blew away the first two hitters in the Red Sox third inning, striking out Jarrod Saltalamacchia and Mike Aviles — that’s three K’s in a row, going back to the second inning. He then capped the … Continue Reading →
Not an ideal trend for the Tigers. So far in 2012, they’re 2-for-2 in leadoff singles. Problem is, they’re also 2-for-2 in double plays immediately following. Prince Fielder had his first at-bat in a Tigers uniform, leading off the bottom of the second inning. After working the count to 3-2, he took an eye-high fastball … Continue Reading →
Where have we seen this before? Justin Verlander gets in trouble, and then wiggles out of it like Houdini. Something about the Tigers ace. He just seems to thrive when the going gets tough. Leading off the second inning, Red Sox DH roped an opposite-field double over Delmon Young in left field. But then Verlander … Continue Reading →
Let the record show that Austin Jackson is batting 1.000. The Tigers leadoff hitter, who has been oft-criticized during his Tigers tenure, took the first pitch he saw from Red Sox lefty Jon Lester and laced it to center field for a single. If he does that consistently this season, he’ll score 120-plus runs. But … Continue Reading →
Tigers Opening Day starter Justin Verlander looked like the ace he is in the first half-inning of 2012, retiring the Red Sox in order on nine pitches. No strikeouts, but efficient all the same. The first pitch of 2012 was a fastball for a strike at 1:10, to Red Sox leadoff hitter Jacoby Ellsbury — … Continue Reading →
Let the record show the Tigers chose a WHITE SOX fan to sing the national anthem on Opening Day. “American Idol” alum Haley Reinhart did a superb job before today’s opener, then told me afterward she is a huge baseball fan — and the suburban Chicago native’s loyalty lies with the White Sox, not the … Continue Reading →
We’re a little less than one hour from first pitch. It’ll be a lot of celebratory activities before the game starts — the raising for the American League Central banner, the introductions of both teams’ rosters, and the singing of the national anthem by “American Idol” alum Haley Reinhart. Not to mention a cool Opening … Continue Reading →